visualkei

As long as the parents have the mental capacity to take good care of a child, then I think it's all right. Don't meant to drive this issue off topic, but I remember watching the Oprah episode of this, and just wondering why this person is considered a guy. "Man has baby!" I think it's quite misleading. Sure "he's" taken male hormones and all, but the uterus is still there. I don't think this person has a penis either. From what I remember the hormones enlarged his clitoris to resemble a small penis. Other than that, blatantly put, I think she's just a hairy girl who had her breasts removed.

Yes, Daft Punk. I remember when I was in elementary school... I think it was elementary-- and their really old school song "Around the World" was played on the radio 24/7. I hated that song! Years later, I listened to their "recent" work and loved it. Not to mention the anime music video, Interstella 5555 that went along with the music. Talk about an amazing music video series. Good entertainment. Aerodynamic and Digital Love are probably my favorite songs by them. The opening to Aerodynamic is fantastic, and makes me think of a windy night in a grassy forest. Digital Love is just plain catchy. What are some songs by them that you like that's not from Interstella 5555?

I think one of the best ways to deal with stress [I]on your own[/I] is through physical activity. Beating a punching bag, running, anything that would make your heart race and sweat a little could help take your mind off of it and help you... well, take it out on something. What I'd do sometimes is ride my bike. Just me and the quiet melodic clicking of my bike through the neighborhood. I'll do it on a whim just because. It's a calm experience, and your heart races without you really being aware. Sometimes I'd even bike at night really fast. It's a quiet excitement because it's a bit more dangerous. :animeswea

Oh, man. I never look up Spongebob Death Note parodies, but I'll always watch em if someone posts them. Hilarious. Btw, I didn't have the motivation to watch DN until I saw a Spongebob version of it. Which is really strange. Hey, for anything out there, there are going to be people who have extreme opinions. Love/hate. I'm surprised a thread of this topic can get this ugly. ...It's Spongebob. Anyways, there were some good cartoons out there, and there are some really good ones now. Heck, I'd say most cartoons out there today are more than watchable. I noticed that a lot of popular cartoons have sophisticated jokes to appeal to more adult audiences. And I'm not just talking about the stuff they show on Fox. Nick toons is jammed packed with entertainment. ...I never seize to catch another funny thing no matter how many times I rewatch Futurama episodes.

I know kids don't really learn anything from SBsquarepants but that show never fails to make me laugh. Spongebob is an incredible character. He's got a good heart, and takes it to the silly extreme.

According to something which I read somewhere a while ago and don't have a link to....lol... Many asians don't possess a certain enzyme that helps break apart alcohol. Thus resulting in an "asian-red" flushed appearance. I'm asian. It's definitely in my family's blood. We get red. First, it's a cute blushing pink in the cheeks, but if a lot more alcohol is ingested or given a little time after the first drink, we turn bright red. All over the face, in the eyes, and I get large red blots all over my body like a sunburn. Didn't realized my body turned red until one night when I took a shower afterwards. I think it's pretty neat looking actually-- except my face gets too red sometimes. I'm not a drinker, and quite underweight, so it'll take half a bottle of beer to effect me. I have a cousin who has dark brown skin, so when he drinks, he's a glowing reddish bronze color; looks pretty incredible. When some people see us red, they assume it's a low and even sad tolerance to alcohol. Note that I'm not precise about why, but I remember reading a pretty reliable article on it. Someone can look it up and clarify it for us if they want.

Alright, so my time off is dwindling down before I have to haul myself back to work. Before that, I'd like to start and finish some anime series. Are there any suggestions for an anime series that is, simply put, short and sweet? My taste in anime is usually within the "shounen" range, so if you can have that in mind, that would be great. Some I consider short and sweet are: FLCL, Trigun, Death Note. Are there any recommendations, and can you let me know why you'd suggest the series?

I noticed that some people have brought up the fact that no one's mentioned abortion. Although I thought about suggesting it, the question seemed like Lonely Fighter was asking how to prepare for a pregnancy and family. And yes, pro-counseling is better than this. lol.

[QUOTE]Government aid is there for a reason and letting your kid suffer just because someone might find it annoying is pretty stupid. There are a lot of good programs out there that are meant to benefit the kid and not you. So don't let that mentality scare you away from getting aid if you really need it.[/QUOTE] Got to agree with this one. If you want to get government support, it's there for you if you choose. I'm middle class, pay taxes, and it doesn't bug me that some of my money goes to people who need it. As far as advice on marrying the girl, I have to disagree. It's up to you and the girl if you want to get married, but I don't think that is necessary. Throwing marriage into the mix out of this situation could bring you two closer together, or it'll cause more pressure for you both, so if you're considering it, think long and hard about it. I don't see anything wrong with accepting responsibility without getting married. College is hard, but not impossible. I don't think it's priority as of now, though. =) It's not bad to think that money's not a problem, but I think the kid's gonna cost a lot more than you think. Unless you're living with your parents, it's going to be a giant chunk out of your pocket. Good luck, man.

[quote name='Lunox'][font=trebuchet ms] These shows make for good joke material with friends, but anyone who takes them seriously is hopeless. I like to counter all the terrible shows out there with the good shows that are out there, like [i]Arrested Development[/i]. [/font][/QUOTE] Arrested Development was one of the best and smartest shows I've watched. Smart silliness.

Does anyone here remember that American t.v. show, Hot or Not? I remember there was a popular website by the same name that gave producers the idea for the show. On the website you can rate people on a scale of how attractive you thought they were. I think there were a lot of websites like these, and at the time when I was using America Online (that's how old that is), AOL even had a H/N thing, too. I thought that show was pretty ridiculous-- but I did watch about 2 episodes. I remember two things from it, people crying because they thought they weren't hot and the judges who took their jobs seriously. At the end of one show, one guy who was shirtless and walking home with some animal fur scarf was bawling his eyes out because he had like a 7 or 8/10 rating. Pretty sad that he was attractive and cared that much about that rating system. There was this one episode that I still remember where one of the contestants had a lousy boob job, one boob being "voluptuous", and the other one looked like a real boob. Maybe it was a one-boob job, I don't know. Anyways, a male judge commented on how that will probably decrease her points. Then a female judge got annoyed then high and mighty saying how if they're going to be THAT judgmental, then why don't they just make the male contestants take off their pants for judging. I thought that was pretty hypocritical of her since she was a judge for a contest based purely on people's looks and their bodies. Everyone who participated was either in swimming shorts only, or bikinis. Loved it, hated it, similar shows out there, do you also participate in H/N, comments and opinions?

Is there anyone here who is interested in applying, is, or has been in the Peace Corps? What about anyone here who knows anyone who's been? I'm considering teach/volunteer abroad programs, perhaps I'll do this a few years later in the future. I considered PC when I was in college, but since I was already behind, and it required over 2 years of volunteer work, it wasn't the best choice for me. Now I'm out and have been working for a year, and while sitting around during summertime, the thoughts have come up again. I'm still extremely hesistant, but it's a monkey on my back that keeps coming and going. Any thoughts on the program or alternatives?

I've recently attended one of these shows. For some of you who don't know, it's a concert where an orchestra plays video game music live, and shows scenes from video games in the background with lighting. Even that youtube piano kid, Martin Yeung, was there to perform. It was pretty interesting, and lasted a bit longer than I thought. I sat in the far back balcony, so I probably didn't get the best experience, because I was bored sometimes as well. There were several enthusiasts, and even some cosplayers. About 2.5 hours, I think, and 2 of the hours was music/entertainment. Is there anyone else who's been to this? What did you think? Is there anyone who's going to attend in the future?

I haven't been into visual kei for several years. I really don't live up to my screen name. I've liked more of the visual kei "pop" songs. I really liked one of the first albums by Dir en Grey (at the time that I got it, it was really one of their only albums...) called Gauze, I believe. It's somewhere in my closet. I think Yokan was the song that made DeG popular, and it was the first song I heard by them. Probably my favorite. Then Cage and Yurameki are also in the same album. Like I said, I like the songs that have a slight poppish feel. That goes with songs by Gackt as well. I've listened to 12012 mp3s before, and didn't find them very special-- but I got to see them live... AND THEY WERE AWESOOOOOOOOOME! Listening to them live was spectacular. I'm not into the hardcore stuff, but I was really mesmerized when I saw them "in concert." I think it's really fascinating, the fashion aspect of Visual Kei.

hm... thanks for sharing that link. i wonder how accurate is that estimate?

Do any of you tip when you get a drink like coffee or a smoothie? Starbucks or Jamba Juice tippers? You're not really expected to tip are you?

considering how much gas is, how much would one tip for a $10 pizza delivered. I mean, the person has to drive to your house, which is different than sitting in a restaurant and being waited on. But, you only order a cheap pizza. what's adequate?

[quote name='Lunox'][font="trebuchet ms"] When I decided to go to UGA, I for some reason felt compelled to fulfill a more standard mold of a "successful" student. I considered pre-law and pre-med for the first time in my life. I felt as if since I was going to a state school, I might as well give up my dreams and do something practical with my life and try to get into Harvard for grad. And to be truthful, I still feel this way. I hate math, and science, but now I'm seriously considering pre-med. It depresses me, and I know it's horrible, but I can't make myself think of actually pursuing what I want.[/font][/QUOTE] For me, it'll be difficult to be successful in something I dislike. Who knows, maybe you're the type that can be successful in whatever you pursue, whether you like it or not. And you're right, that IS horrible. Don't punish yourself.

[quote name='AzureWolf'] Graduate school is the easiest thing to get into, much easier than undergrad. You don't need good grades or any of that nonsense. You just need money (or a source that isn't the school itself, unless you work for it), and they will accept you. The only thing the graduate admissions committees check is your pulse. ............ I don't know if I said this before, but I should have: college is college. 2+2=4, whether you learn that from a Harvard professor or a Howard professor is irrelevant. [B]College is what you make of it.[/B] If you keep yourself open-minded, enter college with a happy mindset, you will find a lot to love. In fact, the school itself will be insignificant to your experience. It will be the people there. The school can treat you like trash and overall, could suck, but if you have other cool friends and good times, it really doesn't matter. ............. [B]Probably the best advice I can give you[/B] is to work/volunteer at admissions when you go to college. It will open your eyes to the ludicrous system you were subject to. For a while, you will disassociate it from what happened to you, but sooner or later, you will come to that realization, that this is the f###ed up system that ruined your chances. When you actually take one of the seats on the admissions committee (many schools reserve two for current students), do not be shocked and surprised. Learn and accept it. [i]"Oh, look! We've got two Hispanics with 4.0 GPAs! Let's accept them both! It'll look good and they won't ruin our rankings!" "No, Mary, HOLY $H!T no! RED F###iING FLAG! This one wants to become a rocket scientist. He's gonna take hard classes and screw us. The other one just wants to be a sweeper with a degree. He will take easy classes. We've got enough safeties - ambitious white people - that we don't need to take risks accepting an ambitious Hispanic one."[/i] Of course, common stuff like this will be said in a more polite, politically correct, and formal way, but the meaning will be the same. [B]The main thing I'm trying to say is to ENJOY YOUR NEXT FOUR YEARS and chase your dreams - your real ones - and don't worry about the little details.[/B] College is a big deal, of course, but which college is a little detail. My friend took a summer course in Harvard, and people were so impressed, but it was no big deal to him and he really didn't care that it was Harvard. He was in Boston at the time and it was what he wanted (something about biostatistics if you are wondering). If your dream is to go to a particular college, you gotta get better dreams. Cure cancer, become pro boxer, volunteer abroad, those are fun dreams, and are more fulfilling than anything Harvard or Yale can offer. [/QUOTE] Sorry AzureWolf, I kinda butcher quoted you, but I thought I'd highlight some of the things I really agree with, and laughed out loud to. The thing about Graduate admissions was... great. I don't know if I should fully believe you but that does give some sense of relief. =] Thanks for putting into words what I think many of us that's been through college feel. You made a lot of good points.

Hope you felt better after that rant. As for me, I've graduated. From college. I went to a state college, and well, my parents and I were proud that I made it that far. It's hard feeling like you've dissappointed your parents. My parents never say a word to me about anything, but one little expression of maybe-dissappointment could kill me. Asian parents, they're something else. Don't want to sound judgemental, but I'm asian as well. Guess I'm having a big sister moment, but I'll say a few things to hopefully comfort you, and I'm not trying to talk down to you or anything. Lunox, if you're really the type of student you ranted yourself to be, you'll be successful in college. I mean, if you have some decent social skills, too. Just work hard in college, and that's really all you need to be successful. We have doctors, lawyers, researchers, all sorts coming from non-Ivy universities. Heck just graduating with a degree is a big accomplishment in itself. I had a friend in high school. We were the top students from our school. Not a big deal or anything, we're from a small school. My friend was considering going to the state university (the one that I wanted to attend [and did] ever since I was a kid), and because some elite jackasses and their comments about state schools, she was ashamed to attend. She got into the Ivy League school of her choice, and was considering the state university, but it drove her crazy some comments somebody made. In the end, she went to the same university I did, and so did that jerk who talked down on the university. When you go to college, you'll get out of that little world you're in now. You'll be in the same school with a bunch of people who are darn proud of that school. A lot of people go to local colleges or universities that could've gotten into an Ivy League school. I realized that when I attended my state university I was small fry compared to all the gifted students there. Well, I'm glad you realized that not getting into an Ivy-League school is not the end of the world. You're young. If you work hard -- REALLY -- if you work as hard as you claim you do, you'll be successful in college and in life. College is just the beginning. You should be celebrating. The things that'll really make you cry, are things you don't even wanna imagine.

Alright, just to be a bit knowledgeable, I have some questions about tipping when you order food. I tip when I know I'm expected to, or when I get good service and I'm not expected to, but I'm still unsure in certain situations what I'm expected to tip, and whether I have to or not. This thread isn't about what a big spender you are, but just to help some of us know when we're supposed to add a little more, of if we've been tipping way too much. Or if there are certain times when it's rude to tip. So, just for my "fyi" tell me a little about tipping expectations where you're from. I know that in the states you're expected to tip between 15-20% of the bill when eating in a restaurant. I've been told that in Vietnam, sometimes tipping is considered being boastful. How about in a bar, if you only order one drink, like a 2 dollar beer, do you tip? What about tipping for mixed drinks? When you order pizza? Delivered foods?

I've always wanted to visit Thailand. A place where elephants are your friends... =]. It's always seemed super exotic to me, but I'm always afraid of all the danger that entails "third world" countries. Wouldn't seem so scary if I knew the Thai language. Sounds like backwards Vietnamese. Would tickets to Thailand cost more during Songkran time?

Alright, I just wanted to talk about that feeling of impending doom. You know the feeling where you know it's coming, and it gives you anxiety, sleeplessness, butterflies (the bad kind) before something happens. [B] Tell me what gives you that feeling of impending doom. And what are your best ways for dealing with it?[/B] For me, what does it is Sunday, or the day before school starts when I know I'm not prepared to go in and teach quality lessons. And the dread of having an administrator bust in when I may be doing nonsense in the classroom. The email or phone call from a parent who is instigative. Yucky. Then the feeling of having to attend to a social situation where you know you don't want to go to, or be around certain people, but is obligated to. My way of dealing with it? Just do it, and get it over with.

[quote name='DeathKnight'][color=crimson]From this post I am imagining someone coming away with the thought "Ahh, so he wants to be a tree."[/color][/QUOTE] lol. Your idea doesn't sound half bad. And here I thought forcing my sisters to cremate me and dispense me where I can be unknowingly breathed in by thousands of people sounded tempting. Cremated THEN buried and back into the circle of life would make it easier on the sisters.

[B]MissWemm [/B], I don't know what to say except that, that nice guy sounds pretty adorable to me. lol. I guess that's why I like hanging around nice little old ladies. You know, the ones you want to call Grandma. Yeah, there's a nice to the point where it feels..... inadequate. That weird feeling you get when that person is always smiling and throwing themselves to do favors for you. But you know what? That person's just nice. And I'm fine with that.